Chapter 117: I’ll Ask You Only Once (3)

"No one, I took a wrong turn. I'm going out for a moment." With those words, the door shut behind her, and Leng Xinmeng pulled Ji Niansheng away.

Only when she was certain they were well out of sight of her home did she stop, turning to him with cold, fiery eyes.

"Hey! What exactly do you want?" No sooner had she asked than she saw him smiling, which only fueled her rage. "You jerk, what are you laughing at?"

Ji Niansheng arched an eyebrow at her, his eyes dancing with amusement. "I'm laughing at how you can drag me by the hand while throwing a temper tantrum. Is this what they call 'the deeper the love, the harsher the reproach'?"

Leng Xinmeng froze. Realizing what she was doing, she immediately flung his hand away and swung a fist at him.

Though she had lost her cool, her strength was greater than usual. Fortunately, Ji Niansheng had learned that her fists usually accompanied her words, and he dodged steadily.

Having missed, Leng Xinmeng grew even angrier, closing in on him with a flurry of punches and kicks.

After a few moments, Ji Niansheng, who had been constantly retreating, began to feel the strain. "I didn't come here to fight you today! Can't we just talk properly?"

"I have nothing to say to you!"

"Aren't you tired? Can't we take a break?"

Upon hearing this, Leng Xinmeng finally ceased her assault, though her glare remained vicious.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"I'm not trying to do anything. I just happened to be passing by, knew you lived here, and thought I'd drop by to see you."

"See me for what! And how did you know where I live?"

"Like I said, someone brought me here."

"Who?"

"If I recall correctly, it was Nan Zixi. If you don't believe me, Shan Chouqou knows too," Ji Niansheng added.

"So it was that brat! To think he'd play a trick on me—if I ever see him, I'll beat him to a pulp, or I'm not a Leng!" Leng Xinmeng fumed.

Halfway down the street, Nan Zixi suddenly shivered. He looked around, puzzled: Strange, there’s no cold wind, is there?

"What do you actually want?" Leng Xinmeng asked impatiently.

"Can't I come to see you if I don't have a specific reason?" Ji Niansheng countered.

"Cut the crap! Out with it."

"There really is no reason. I just wanted to see you."

"What's there to see? How boring." Leng Xinmeng turned to walk away.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Ji Niansheng chased after her. "You shouldn't treat a guest like this. You don't have to invite me in, but the least you could do is treat me to a meal. I haven't had dinner yet."

"None of my business."

"You..."

Before Ji Niansheng could continue, another voice chimed in.

"Xinxin."

He turned to see a woman in her forties. Could she be Leng Xinmeng's mother?

Leng's mother also noticed Ji Niansheng and asked her daughter, "Did you bring a classmate home to play?"

"I'm not close to him," Leng Xinmeng retorted, leaving Ji Niansheng behind.

"You child, you can't be so impolite. If a classmate comes by, invite them in for a sit," her mother scolded, then turned to Ji Niansheng. "My daughter is just like this, please don't take it to heart."

"Hello, Auntie," Ji Niansheng greeted her politely, thinking to himself that Leng Xinmeng clearly hadn't inherited any of her mother's traits.

"What a well-behaved boy," Leng's mother said, clearly taken with him. "Come, come inside and have a seat."

"..." A well-behaved boy? Mom, are you okay? Leng Xinmeng was speechless. "Mom, there's no need. He was looking for a friend and got lost; I'm just showing him the way. We aren't coming in." With that, she shot a glare at Ji Niansheng.